As January comes to a close, many people are losing motivation to stick to the New Year's resolution they made. Gym memberships are being cancelled, meal-prepping is becoming a thing of the past, and Netflix binges are interrupting your plan for eight hours of sleep. If you made a resolution three weeks ago and are now struggling, don't worry. Here are five tips to help you accomplish your goals.
1. Make your goal specific
If you find that you're struggling to stick to your goal, maybe you need to revise it. Sticking to a resolution of "eating healthy" is hard since defining what constitutes healthy is subjective. Instead, try making your resolution eating a piece of fruit every day or only ordering Domino's once a week instead of twice. Setting a vague goal makes much harder to figure out if you're succeeding, so changing your goal a bit might make it much easier to achieve.
2. Write your goal down, and hang it somewhere you'll see it
It may sound simple, but something as easy as jotting your resolution down on a post-it and sticking it somewhere you'll read it can really make a difference in sticking to your goal. Putting your goal on paper makes you commit to it, and hanging your goal in a place you'll see it will remind you to follow through. If your goal is to journal for ten minutes a day, write it down and stick it on your desk so you can follow through in between finishing math homework and studying for chemistry.
3. Tell your friends
Your friends can make a big difference in sticking to your resolution. If you tell your friends you want to exercise four times a week, they can remind you to go, and maybe even go with you. Additionally, telling your friends gives you a sense of accountability so you'll feel more responsible to complete your goal. And, if you tell your friends about your goal and actually stick to your resolution for a whole year, you can brag to them about how you followed through and they'll actually believe you.
4. Set aside time in your schedule for your goal
If you want to actually get eight hours of sleep a night, write it in your schedule. Figure out what time you need to get up the next morning, and then set a reminder on your phone or laptop for when you should start getting ready for bed. It also might be helpful to set aside a couple minutes every week or two to evaluate your progress and figure out how to keep sticking to your goal.
5. Accept that it's okay to slip up
It's impossible to be perfect, so don't beat yourself up if you don't get around to studying for the MCAT everyday this week because you had three other exams and two papers. Successfully completing your resolution doesn't mean you follow through every day, it just means that, everything considered, you achieved your goal.
There you have it: five easy ways to make achieving your New Year's resolution that much easier. Following through with a decision for a whole year seems daunting, but it's definitely possible if you follow these tips. And even if you don't stick with it, there's always next year.